Fantasy Basketball Stock Up Stock Down: Collin Gillespie breaking through

December is here and so is the quarter-mark of the 2025-26 NBA season.

With each team about 20 games into their respective seasons, it’s easier now to make sense of the player data. But we’re here to make it easier for those in the fantasy world looking for trends. Who’s on the rise? Who’s trending downward?

Let’s discuss.

→ Watch the NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock with two tremendous matchups! The Knicks take on the Celtics in Boston at 8 p.m. ET before the Warriors host the Thunder at 10 p.m. ET. Both games are available on Peacock. Check your local listings for the NBC game in your area.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Nikola Jokić remains on top and Scottie Barnes shines

Check out the fantasy basketball rankings update as the season enters December.

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STOCK UP

Kawhi Leonard — SF/PF, Clippers

It's not exactly breaking news that Kawhi Leonard is great at basketball, but it’s easy to overlook at times given his availability issues from a health standpoint. However, in his return from a foot injury that had kept him sidelined for 10 games, he’s logged three 30-point outings in a row and is averaging 28.8 points, 2.6 three-pointers, and posting 53.3/48.1/97.1 shooting splits across the last five games. Even more impressively, he’s hitting these numbers despite a minutes restriction that has only allowed him to reach the 30-minute mark in one of those games. Obviously, Leonard’s injury history is long enough to make him an unreliable (but impactful) option in fantasy leagues — depending on the fantasy manager, Leonard could either be a valuable player to shop while he’s healthy and performing well, or a nice trade-for candidate for those willing to bet good injury luck is past due. When on the floor, he’ll remain one of the Clippers’ most relied upon players amidst a tough start to their season.

Kon Knueppel — SG/SF, Hornets

Knueppel has very much performed at the level of a top-five NBA pick. He’s leading all rookies in points per game, has made over 30 more threes than the next closest rookie, and ranks in the top-10 in his class regarding rebounds and assists per game. The versatility he’s displaying through the first quarter of the season has already allowed him to become one of Charlotte’s most reliable pieces on the offensive end. Knueppel averaged 19.9 points per game in November, up from 13.8 in October. It feels early for a rookie wall to be looming — I would suggest taking a hard look at Knueppel as a roster addition if he’s available in your fantasy league.

Collin Gillespie — PG/SG, Suns

Gillespie has been a fun player to watch this season, as has the Suns team as a whole. He’s played well in every role so far, but as a recent starter at the point guard position, the production has become even louder. In the former Villanova Wildcat’s three starts, all within the last week, he’s topped 20 points, dished at least four assists, recorded a steal, and splashed four or more three-pointers in each — this includes his most recent 28-point outburst against the Lakers on Monday night in a game that Devin Booker (groin) exited in the first quarter. Gillespie’s contributions may not be as needed or as available once the banged-up Suns receive some of their most productive players back from injury. But until then, he has a chance to continue his upward trend.

STOCK DOWN

Shaedon Sharpe — SG/SF, Trail Blazers

Injuries stink. Sharpe had really come on as an efficient scorer to begin November, packed with the potential to grab rebounds, tally assists, and collect steals on a nightly basis. More specifically, the fourth-year shooting guard was averaging 26.5 points and 5.5 rebounds on 49.7 percent from the floor through the first eight games of November, including three 30-point games, before being sidelined for four. His minutes are down in his return to the lineup, and so is his production — he’s scored 18 total points over the past two games and is currently coming off the bench. Things could change for the better, but for now, he’s in a tougher spot as a result of the previous calf injury.

LaMelo Ball — PG/SG, Hornets

It’s been another interesting season for Ball. Injuries have taken him off the floor for seven games already, but even when healthy, it appears now that minutes aren’t guaranteed. For reference, the superstar guard was subbed out with 8:31 left in regulation and did not return to the court in a recent overtime win over the Raptors. It could have been a case of head coach Charles Lee rolling with the lineup that had a rhythm during Charlotte’s comeback effort. Or, there could have been a subtle message sent. It’s not my place to speculate, but either way, Ball is averaging fewer than 20.0 points per game for the first time since his rookie season and is currently putting together the worst shooting numbers of his career. There’s nothing I’ve seen thus far that leads me to believe his production will see a significant increase in the near future. But I’d love to be wrong.

Luke Kornet — C, Spurs

Kornet instantly came to mind when Victor Wembanyama’s calf injury was reported. On paper, it seemed as though the former NBA champion would be able to fill in nicely for the superstar center, which he did very admirably in the 13-point, 11-rebound, three-block outing he had against the Kings in his first start and Wemby’s first absence. Yet, Kornet has scored just 6.2 points per game in the following six appearances and only come close to securing double-digit rebounds on one occasion over that period. Many may not have been as high on Kornet’s short-term potential as I was, which I understand. Still, it seems like he could be more productive on the offensive end.